The Lonumedhu Cookbook is Finally Here!

by Iyath Adam

Our cookbook, ‘Recipes from Maldives’ has been launched today!

The cookbook features 50 traditional Maldivian recipes from across the board, both savoury, sweet and everything in between.

The book starts with an introduction to Maldivian cuisine and the recipes are divided into six sections: ‘Rice & Breads,’ ‘Curries,’ ‘Savoury Snacks,’ ‘Sweet Snacks,’ ‘Desserts & Drinks’ and ‘Dhivehi Specials.’

The ‘Rice & Breads’ section features quintessential Maldivian dishes such as huni roshi (coconut flatbread), fen folhi (Maldivian crepe) and masbaiy (tuna rice). Kandu kukulhu (chicken of the sea), hanaakuri mas (tuna cooked with roasted spices) and bambukeyo sanneti (spicy breadfruit curry) are included in the ‘Curries’ section.

Next, there is a chapter on snacks, divided into savoury and sweet, featuring Maldivian savoury short eats (hedhika) such as kulhi boakiba (spicy fish cake), kavaabu (tuna fritters) and bajiyaa (Maldivian samosa) and sweet snacks like kiru boakiba (coconut milk cake) and maafuh (finger millet balls).

The ‘Desserts & Drinks’ section shows you how to make old-school classics such as saagu fani (sago drink), fufoo kan’dhi (winter melon porridge) and bambukeyo bondibaiy (breadfruit pudding).

Finally, the last section is dedicated to ‘Dhivehi Specials,’ those Maldivian staples which don’t quite fit into any of the other categories. This includes mas fen (fish and coconut milk), rihaakuru dhiya (fish paste in spicy coconut milk) and lonumirus (Maldivian chilli spice paste).

The recipes in the book are easy to follow with clear measurements, prep times and instructions. Each recipe has a short introduction to the dish as well, which sometimes includes details such as recipe variations, the story of the dish and how the finished products need to look.

The ‘Recipes from Maldives’ cookbook is not only useful for foreigners who want to learn more about the Maldivian cuisine, or tourists who want to recreate certain dishes they’ve had in the Maldives. It is also an easy way for young locals to try their hand at making traditional Maldivian recipes.

Currently, the ‘Recipes from Maldives’ cookbook is available from all Round One Bookshop outlets in Male’ and Hulhumale’. The price of the book is MVR 350.